after reading a couple of peoples comments after their build, some left me with the impression that space inside was kind of tight. I assume that means some mostly burnt logs still going on one side of the oven, and you cooking on the other. I have just built my block stand, but have yet to finalize my 4 inch top size, and I could do a 46 instead. Does anyone feel that 42 might not be big enough?

Depends on what you are going to do with it. The size of the oven is a function of the number of people you have to feed and how often. It doesn't make sense to build and fire a 42-46" oven if you're only cooking for four once a month. Read through some of the other threads and see how many of the builders decided on a right size for their needs.

Really, a 42 is the biggest you're going to need for a home (non commercial) oven. There is much talk of how many pizzas you can fit in an oven, but unless you have a crew, you are going to have trouble making more than one pizza at a time.

I have a 36, and it's plenty for pizza, and can cook a thanksgiving dinner with room to spare.

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I find my 40 inch big enough. I've never encounter a situation where i wished it to be bigger. If I was doing it over again, I would possibly go a bit smaller say 36 or 38. A bigger oven means more time and fuel to heat it up and therefore you are less likely to use it as frequently as a smaller oven.

42 is gracious plenty!! I can get eight loaves of bread or three cookie sheets in at one time with a small bank of coals against the back.

Pizzas cook so fast that you will really have to be on the ball to handle more than two at a time... At least one at a time lets you enjoy your beer and carry on a conversation while tending the oven. More than one and it will be a JOB!

See if you can find a local WFO owner to visit. I think you'll have a better feel for what you can do in a particular sized oven if you can see it. You're welcome to bring you biggest roasting pan to my house and see what is left oven inside the oven. Or you could place the cooking pans of what you think is a very generous feast on your kitchen floor and mesure how much space you need and have a bit to spare. I can't do a full pig laid out inside the oven unless I can find a short pig and a very long pan.

I am a fan of Carrabba's, and often sit at the bar, overlooking the oven. They keep a fire going all day, no oven door, and still cook the pizzas quick. It makes me think that with a door, a 46 would have that day to day quick heat up
(after all, does a 46 take all that much longer to heat up than a 42) ,(thermal mass be dammed), while having that added capability to handle the big 4th of July party with 100 people. I have 29 Live Oak trees that apparently have the highest BTU per cord of any wood (said embarrassingly, having thrown away years of tree fallage and scraps). Now, I have made what is best practices for North Florida (read this as humid and wet), which is off the ground and a roof over it. Since my 4 inch platform for my brick oven goes in next week, I may well want to cantilever it out a little more, and build the 46 just for the capability of accommodating the bigger party, while justifying it by saying my 20 Live Oak trees will provide what is needed. Or, does the 46 not really provide that much more square footage than the 42.

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